


Of Tea, Apples and Embarrassing Dates

by atelofobia_7



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Also Levi is a Virgin, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Coffee Shop Employee Eren Yeager, Demisexuality, Eren Is a Tease, Eren is not, First Time, Fluff, Levi is costantly embarassing himself, Levi owns a gym, M/M, Really tho he flirts a lot, sex with feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:14:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23632936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/atelofobia_7/pseuds/atelofobia_7
Summary: Eren works in a coffe shop, but that sure isn't the reason why Levi has become a regular, right?Also, Eren likes to flirt a bit too obviously and Levi becomes an embarrassing mess every time he talks to him.
Relationships: Levi/Eren Yeager
Comments: 13
Kudos: 174





	Of Tea, Apples and Embarrassing Dates

**Author's Note:**

> This oneshot is based on twelve facts about Levi apparently confirmed by Isayama himself. The moment I read them I instantly thought they'd be the perfect basis for a fanfic so, why not?

**1- Levi is a clean freak**

The alarm starts ringing and Levi curses out loud. He reaches for the nightstand with a hand, face still buried in his pillow, and successfully manages to make his watch fall on the floor before actually hitting the alarm. He grunts a muffled  _ fuck  _ and unwillingly gets up. He kneels down to pick up the fallen watch and  _ so joyfully  _ discovers the dirt gathered under his bed which, just saying, he had cleaned barely three days ago.

_ Okay, this day surely isn’t going to be the highlight of my week _ , he thinks.

And, really, the day isn’t going to be any better -he knows it- because if there’s something he’s learnt in his thirty-five years of life, it is that the whole day is going to totally suck -like, big time suck- when he feels that worn out in the morning.

Levi grumpily heads to the shower, bringing with him his boxers, a pair of black sweatpants and a dark gray t-shirt. Fuck, he doesn’t even feel like drying his hair afterward. Fuck it. Wet hair it’ll be. The weather is warm enough anyway.

***

So, it turned out the weather isn’t that warm today after all and the cold air blowing on his wet nape is gonna gift him a cold for sure. Not only this: he had relied on the fact that not drying his hair would have given him some spare time and had eventually decided to swipe the floor under his bed and then, why not, his whole bedroom. Needless to say, he managed to be late, and Levi absolutely  _ hates  _ to be late.

This the reason why he is now running -fast pacing- on the sidewalk, accidentally bumping into people and receiving death glares from everyone. Good, he has the outstanding ability to send the best death glares in return, and has the tiniest bit of fun doing it too.

He stops abruptly when walking in front of the coffee shop he is used to having breakfast in and briefly takes a look at his watch. So, okay: he is pretty late. But, on the other hand, he isn’t  _ that  _ late and he usually never happens to be late. What does it matter if it only is this once?

He ignores the guilt and the slight bit of shame he’s actually feeling and enters the coffee shop.

The young man behind the counter -yes, he’s calling him that, because he  _ absolutely  _ does  _ not  _ know his name- raises his head a little and, fuck, he smiles when their eyes meet. “Hello. The usual?”

Levi nods. Maybe the morning isn’t gonna be that terrible in the end.

**2- Levi smiles a little at clean surfaces**

He’s begun eating breakfast at this place on a gray morning the winter before, when he had gotten up feeling the absolute worst and hadn’t found it in himself to prepare something at home. At first he was going for no breakfast at all, but then he had walked past the coffee shop and his stomach had grumbled in a way that was close to menacing.

The reason he’s become a usual, though, is how much he has come to enjoy the place itself: not only the tea is utterly good (honestly, he would sue any shitty bar that had dared to serve him the minimarket tasteless tea), but the shop is always, with no exception, clean and well kept. Is it the first thing someone would notice when coming into a coffee shop? Well, no. But is it the first essential requirement in Levi’s point of view? Yes, no shit.

It’s been more than a year now, but he still denies himself the real reason he regularly comes is actually Eren- ehm, the young man behind the perfectly clean counter. Really tho, it  _ is  _ clean. Almost shiny. He absentmindedly smiles at the thought: there’s no use denying the satisfaction a clean place gives him. There is no other place in the area where he can enjoy his tea without the itching need of cleaning a disturbing stain on the counter.

A huffed laugh calls him back to reality. The boy -oh, fuck it, who is he even trying to fool?  _ Eren _ is watching him with amusement and he’s totally not trying to hide it while he places the steaming cup in front of him.

Levi instantly comes back to his stoic expression. He is  _ not  _ gonna betray himself today.

“Woah, how grumpy all of a sudden. I’m sure I saw you smile just now.”

Levi snorts and ignores him. The only answer the boy is allowed to get is nothing more than an arched eyebrow.

**3- Levi likes to drink tea. He puts nothing in it, though. Oh, he also holds the cup from its rim**

For some unknown reason, Eren is still standing still in front of him, leaning on the counter in a  _ not sexy at all, I guarantee _ pose. Not only that, he’s staring at him with no shame at all. Does he even have a dignity, for fuck’s sake?

Levi sighs and grabs the cup, sipping on the hot tea with a satisfied look.

Eren laughs again, and Levi cannot bear it anymore. First of all, his laugh hits him directly in the stomach and gives him the strangest kind of a tingling sensation, but, more importantly, he’s starting to feel a tiny bit mocked.

He places the cup down and looks at the guy with the planest of his faces -which is  _ very  _ plane indeed- and folds his arms on his chest. “Okay. Uh, tell me, I’m curious.”

“Tell you what?”

Levi can clearly tell Eren is having a lot of fun. “Mh. What’s so funny?”

Eren grins. “I don’t know. I can’t choose between the way you hold the cup or the fact you come here every single day just to have a cup of tea. Plane tea, for instance.”

Well, alright, he must say it may actually seem funny. But it isn’t. “I hap-happened to break every cup I tried to hold correctly. Yeah, so, after the umpteenth shower of boiling water, my seven years old self wisely decided to change approach. Yeah. That’s it.” It is a totally logical explanation, isn’t it? Then, why is Eren laughing even harder now?

“And,” he says louder to speak over the other’s laughter, “I, uh, enjoy a decent tea. Which requires too much effort for me to buy and keep home. I don’t see the p-problem with drinking it plain.”

“Alright. I got it. Well, kinda.”

_ Obviously you  _ kinda  _ get it, I cannot tell you the real reason I keep coming here for a simple tea is that I enjoy seeing you moving behind the counter. _

Which he isn’t doing today, for the first time since he began coming to the coffee shop. And, why the fuck isn’t he minding his own fucking-shop-business today too?

Levi is gonna bury himself six feet under. He feels utterly embarrassed because, fuck, he obviously cannot be a normal human being. No, he has to fucking lose the capability of speaking, shit.

**4- Levi becomes an awkward stuttering mess when talking to his crush**

“From what you said it seems you have, uh, noticed it a long time ago.”

“That’s how it is.”

“Were you watching me?”

He means it in a joking way, teasing you could say, but apparently it doesn’t work as wished because, fuck, Eren winks and grins blatantly. “Indeed I was.”

Levi can’t speak. He has to keep silent because really, if he tries and says something he’s gonna stutter like shit right now.

He opts for the usual, then: an arched eyebrow and an expressionless look. Good job soldier, good job.

“So, I make it my personal aim to be a good waiter and treat my customers the best way possible. Which means, I gotta know your name.”

“You- you gotta know my name?”

“I absolutely need to. You know, you’re a regular after all.”

“Mhph. If it is your personal aim, how is it you’re, uh, you’re only asking me now?”

Eren licks his lips a little but, god, is it doing things to him. The little shit is doing it on purpose, there’s no other option. “You know? I’m asking myself the same question.”

“Levi.”

“Mh?”

“My name is Levi.”

Eren grins once again, looking at him with no shame at all. “An important name, I see; perfect for such a fine person.” Eren moves farther from the counter, eyes still on Levi. “Then,  _ Levi _ , I’d be very pleased if I could spend all day talking with you, but it’s now occurring the tragic need of me doing my job. See you tomorrow, then.” He winks again and just turns around, as if he hasn’t just done the shittiest flirt Levi has happened to witness, the bastard.

Levi gulps the rest of the tea with a pouting face. His eyes only accidentally fall on his watch and fucking freaking fuck, he’s so damn late he’s gonna kill himself to make it easier.

He leaves some money on the counter and, grabbed the pastry he hasn’t even bitten yet, he rushes out of the shop as if he’s got the devil at his back.

He totally  _ didn’t  _ hear Eren’s laugh.

***

**5- Levi is flexible enough to do a split**

He hasn’t stopped for breakfast this morning, as well as he hadn’t the day before too. It’s not that he wasn’t hungry, it’s just that he is still too embarrassed from  _ that  _ day and needs to process his awkwardness a bit more before being able to step back into the coffeeshop and face the so  _ not hot  _ guy.

Needless to say, he’s starving.

On the other hand, though, he managed to open his gym ahead of time today and he’s now having some extra time to exercise a little on his own. Being the owner of the gym, it is hard exercising when the multitude of customers requires your help, so he’s particularly enjoying this moment for himself.

At least, it has been beautiful until it lasted. The first client of the day comes in accompanied by the jingling sound of the bell at the entrance and Levi slightly raises his head to greet the client. “Hi! Do you need any help? Otherwise feel free to go to the changing room and do as you prefer.”

“Actually, I’m new there. I’d like to join the membership.”

Levi freezes. He hasn’t recognized the voice, right? It isn’t  _ his  _ voice, right??

Well, he realizes as he stands up and eyes the entrance, it fucking is.

Eren stops a second and then smiles widely, eyes shining in the realization. “Now I get why you’re always wearing sporty clothes.”

“Aren’t you working today?”

“It’s my free day today, actually.”

“Ah, uh, right. It’s Thursday.” He suddenly freezes, once again, and he’d like to slap himself on the face,  _ fucking hard _ , because did he really reveal he knows when he’s not at the coffee shop?

No wonder the little shit is grinning so wide it’s almost creepy.

Levi clears his mouth. Where are heart attacks when you need them, anyway? “Okay, mh, so. I need you to provide me a health certificate -you can bring it to me as soon as you have it, it doesn’t necessarily need to be the next time you come here- and, uhm, now I’ll have you read some terms and let you sign some sheets. Are you already informed about the cost and the payment methods?”

“I am. I looked it up on the website.”

“Good. Then, as for now, you can go change and when you’ll come back we’re going to try some exercises and see what works for you. Yeah.”

Eren nods, an unexplainable grin on his red lips, and heads toward the changing room.

“Fuck,” Levi murmurs under his breath. He’s doomed.

***

He decided to wait for him while stretching a little bit more, and ends up regretting it when Eren comes back and finds him in the middle of a split, his torso sticking to his front leg and both hands grabbing his feet.

Actually, Eren isn’t showing a mocking look, he seems quite impressed instead. “You’re pretty flexible, I must say. If I’d try such a thing, I’d be blocked for a week to say the least.”

Levi slowly sits and then stands up, his lips a thin line. “Yeah. Well, let’s get started, mh?”

Eren agrees and follows him to a counter with a computer on it and some other desk things.

Levi asks him what’s his objective (quite unuseful, he must say, because the black tank top shows pretty clearly his objective isn’t getting fitter), and Eren answers he’d like to keep in shape. He explains he’s being exercising at home or running when possible, but he is now looking for a more professional help. “I also hoped it would be an occasion to meet new friends. It seems I found someone even more worth coming, tho,” he  _ unnecessarily  _ adds.

Levi follows him a bit, he shows him some effective exercises and how to use some of the machines, and when Eren seems confident enough he lets him be -not after assuring him he can call him for help whenever he feels like it.

It doesn’t take much for him to notice the way Eren is sneakingly looking at him every time the occasion arises, and he considers it the best choice for his mental health to give up on exercising and just shelter himself behind his counter while working on some documents.

**6- Levi’s favorite fruit is apples**

His stomach grumbles angrily and Levi slightly raises his head to make sure Eren didn’t hear the not-so-flattering noise and -after a relieved sigh when it seems like he didn’t- he rummages in his bag and smiles to himself when he finds the apple he was looking for.

“I’d melt on the spot if you looked at me the way you’re eyeing that apple.”

Levi gifts him the deadliest death glare he can master, but it shakes just a little when he actually takes in the way the boy looks right now, after about half an hour in the gym. He’s sweaty, and that should suck. But somehow, it fucking doesn’t. Honestly, it’s quite the opposite. His cheeks are flushed and some drops of sweat are forming on his temple. Also, he must have a habit of biting his lip under the effort of physical work, ‘cause his lips are plump and the reddest of reds. And has Levi already mentioned the way his muscles are popping out of the tank top? Yeah, well, he has some nice muscles.

Still, his are better anyway.

“Uhm. I’m hungry.”

“I guess you are. You didn’t stop to the coffee shop, after all.”

Levi worsens his death glare, which  _ hasn’t  _ faltered at all at the sight of the young man, of course, and masters up some courage. He stares directly into the other’s eyes and brings the green apple to his mouth. He takes a juicy bite and licks the juice dripping on his lip.

Staring. Into. His. Eyes. All. The. Fucking. Time.

Eren breathes in deeply, mouth slightly agape, then giggles briefly, a pleasantly welcomed surprise in his laugh. He slowly turns around, walking towards the machine he was working to just before. Levi  _ isn’t  _ staring at his round butt. And, isn’t that just a totally objective consideration? What’s true is true, right? His butt really is pretty.

Another thirty minutes pass and some more people are now in the gym. Eren isn’t around anymore and Levi supposes he’s getting changed.

He comes out of the changing room shortly after, indeed, and heads towards him in a confident manner.

“So, did you like the free trial?”

“I did. Next time I’ll bring everything needed to sign up.”

Levi nods.

“Then, Levi, I sincerely hope you’ll show your pretty self to me tomorrow morning. Breakfast is on me, okay?” He doesn’t wait for an answer and just walks out of the gym, but Levi is ready to bet everything he owns the fucker is wearing a smug grin on that kissab- punchable face of his.

***

He is tempted not to stop at the shop today too, just for the satisfaction of making the too-self-confident boy doubt himself a little, but he decides the hunger coming later in the morning is just not worth it. Moreover, he really needs his daily dose of tea to keep sane, you know. These are the only true reasons he enters the shop. Nothing more. Nope.

Eren finds him almost immediately. It’s pretty scary, if you ask Levi.

Anyway, the young man is smiling this time too, and Levi starts wondering if maybe he’s got facial paralysis.

“Levi. I’m happy you’re back.”

“Mh. Cannot see the reason why.”

Eren leans on the counter, the usual smile gone in favor of two serious, penetrating eyes. “Can’t you really, though?”

Levi clears his throat and doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t even need to order: he always asks for the same thing (the orange and cinnamon tea and a cereal pastry) and he hasn’t needed to order it anymore for some months now.

When Eren places Levi’s breakfast down, though, there’s a little something he hasn’t asked for. The thing is: there’s his usual cup of steaming hot tea and the little saucer with the everyday pastry on it, but there also is another plate with a sliced apple on it. Not only this: the slices are peeled in a way that resembles a number of bunnies and, really, he last ate them this way when he was maybe six.

“What the hell is this?”

Eren seems extremely satisfied. “Bunnies. I did it.”

“I-I’m not eating it.”

“Why not?” he says, and he fucking pouts. The bastard, trying to play it cute.

“B-because! I’m a grown man, yeah?”

His pout gets even poutier, if possible. “I worked so hard on it, just for you…”

Levi sighs and slaps his hand on his face full force. He takes the tiny fork and eats a piece of fruit, deliberately ignoring the amused-or-maybe-more-confused look the lady beside him is giving him.

On the other hand, Eren quits his act and pulls on his best-pleased face instead. Levi must sigh once again.

“You know,” starts Eren getting closer to him and lowering the tone of his voice, “Yesterday you seemed to enjoy apples a lot. I must admit I was hoping you’d show me the same expression today.”

Levi grunts. Maybe he preferred it when Eren didn't talk to him this much, but kept it at the usual greetings and little more.

“You tell me, Levi. What can I treat you to in order to witness such a vision again?”

“Mhph. Nothing. You just need to kneel down and beg for it hoping I’ll be kind enough to grant your wish.”

“That’s it?”

Levi lifts a confused eyebrow, followed by widening eyes as Eren holds his apron up and starts to get down on his knees. “Wha-what are you doing! Stop it already!”

Eren laughs cheerfully, while Levi would just want the ground to open up and swallow him whole.

**7- Levi’s favorite food is rice**

“So? Do I need to clean the floor with my knees or will you tell me?”

Levi really is sighing a lot lately. “Rice. I like rice, okay? Now stop your foul play, mh?”

Maybe his sense of humor has gotten rotten, ‘cause he really doesn’t get why Eren is laughing that much. He finally calms down, eventually, showing off that smug look of his.

***

Levi’s lifting weights taking advantage of the late hour, when a very little number of people are still training in the gym.

He can feel his muscles burning, and he fucking loves it.

When Eren’s green eyes come into the picture, though -his unreasonably happy face just above him- he does love it a little bit less. Fuck it.

He puts down the bar and lifts himself up from the plank. “How can I help you?”

“Telling me how much will it take for you to close the gym today.”

Levi sends him a questioning glare, but checks his watch anyway. “Mh. About an hour. Why?”

“‘Cause I’m taking you out for dinner, obviously.”

So, the point is: Levi likes Eren. Like, he really fucking likes him. He’s liked him since the first months he began going to the coffee shop. But also: he is thirty-five, while Eren seems to be around  _ twenty- _ five. And then: Levi has no experience at all with this shit, such as flirting and dates and mutual feelings. That being the reason why yes, he’s been observing Eren from the other side of the counter, and he’s treasured the precious times when he’s caught him sneaking him a look or when they’ve exchanged some words, but he’s never tried to achieve anything more. God, not even daring to dream about it.

What’s worse, is he’d also like to do more with him, to go further for the first time in his life after a long, so fucking long time.

Eren is blatantly asking him out and has been shamelessly hitting on him. That could be a dream, rest assured, but it also tastes like a nightmare.

However, Eren is showing those puppy eyes and suddenly looks almost nervous at Levi’s silence and Levi just says  _ fuck it _ to all his insecurities and nods his head (after rolling his eyes, that comes without saying.)

Eren’s face lightens up, his house-seller-like smile with white straight teeth and cute dimples at both sides, and Levi sighs because really, he can’t even with him.

***

Eren’s already showered and dressed, waiting for him at the entrance, when Levi’s finally showered too after cleaning and putting everything in place. He’s dressed casually, dark jeans and a dark green sweater which looks incredibly soft. Levi’s pretty comfy too, black jeans and a black long-sleeved shirt with a black open hoodie. Let’s say he feels comfortable in dark clothes.

Eren  _ doesn’t  _ look delicious  _ at all _ , promise. His hair -they smell of shampoo- have just been dried, thus seeming so fluffy he’d dig his nose into them right now if he hadn’t any sense of pudor. The green of the sweater matches his eyes ridiculously, and Levi supposes it’s because he’s never seen him before in casual clothes (only the shop uniform and the gym outfit, in fact) that it’s making him this kind of effect.

Eren brings him to a Chinese restaurant located on a secondary street, which is not that far from their starting point but which Levi’s never frequented before. The atmosphere is actually somehow appealing or comfortable even, with vintage lamps protruding from the yellow walls of the buildings and people sitting at occasional tables momentarily placed on the sidewalk with the inhabitants eating together, drinking liquor or playing card games. The restaurant is at the very beginning of the street, some tables set outside under a veranda with red lanterns hanging loosely.

Levi discovers Eren’s booked a table for them and, honestly, it’s quite the perfect place. From their spot they can see the whole length of the street spreading in front of them, lively people chatting and warm lights making it look almost cozy.

As if all this isn’t enough per se, the smell coming from the inside of the restaurant is making things to his void stomach and he finds out his salivation has actually increased.

He’s thinking it's perfect, when the realization strikes him. “Wait. You booked a table before you’d even asked me if I’d actually come.”

The boy grins. “I knew you’d agreed to anyway.”

“Mhph. Little bastard.”

“You say I’m little but you’re actually very much shorter than me; you are aware of this, aren’t you?”

**8- Levi would like to be taller**

Levi grunts and stiffens a bit. Yeah okay, he knows he’s short. Like,  _ short  _ short. It’s something that’s always bothered him; you’d think after thirty-five years of living some acceptance would sink in but, well, that’s not the case.

Eren must have noticed the weak spot he’s touched, because he leans closer across the table and says, loud and clear, “I like the way you’re much shorter, tho. It makes me think about hugging you from behind and placing my head onto yours. Very nice indeed.”

Levi says nothing at first because, sincerely, what could he even say? Then he remembers. “Still. I’m older anyway. Pay some respect.”

Eren leans back on his chair, seeming extremely comfortable and, yes, pretty full of himself. “Not a problem. For a matter of fact, I like them mature.”

That’s it. Levi is gonna fucking stand up and run away like a rabbit fleeing from a dog and go hiding under a pile of blankets on his perfectly clean bed before exploding. He needs time to process, okay? No judging.

Unfortunately, the stars have other plans for him, as a waitress arrives with their orders and his stomach sings the choir of angels and okay, that’s quite the good reason for staying. The woman who brought the dishes wishes them a good diner and walks back inside after greeting Eren by name.

Levi lifts an eyebrow and Eren smiles almost - _ almost _ \- affectionately. “I moved in this street four years ago after receiving the best proof studying wasn’t the right path for me. I was lucky enough to be hired in the coffee shop almost immediately. You can figure yourself a twenty years old with no life experience and living on his own became a regular of the restaurant downstair very quickly. Especially when the food is that tasty.”

“So, uhm, you abandoned studying?”

“That’s it. You might think it’s sad such a young boy gave up on every ambition and refuged in a comfortable life. But I love it this way. No regrets.”

Levi is impressed, honestly speaking. Eren seems to be way more mature than what he looks like. “Not really. The sad part, I mean. When I graduated I instantly felt relieved. I couldn’t bear studying anymore, just wanted to get to work.”

“How long is it since you opened the gym?”

“Almost ten years.” He scrunches his eyebrows. “Fuck, time sure flies.”

They both fall silent and Levi finally takes a spoonful of his Cantonese rice. His eyes widen and Eren laughs. “I know! Good, isn’t it?”

Levi nods and continues eating. Shit, he really was starving and the dish is delicious.

He hums and eyes Eren biting on his lip. Fuck. He’s delicious too.

***

There’s no meaning denying it: he had an amazing time. Eren offered to accompany Levi home, but knowing his flat was just meters away from there, he couldn’t do anything other than decline the offer and greet him goodbye.

Just before he could exit the street and turn around the corner, Eren’s sparkling voice calls his name and he turns around to see the boy bent on the table to scribble something on a napkin.

“Here, take it.”

Levi takes the napkin and represses a smile. Eren’s handwriting is a bit shaky and messy in a funny way, but the lines are firm and confident. Just like him.

“Call me, okay?”

Levi stares at him, no words spoken. He’s noticed with a spark of pride he hasn’t stuttered his usual lot during the dinner, but he’s positive he’s gonna make an awkward mess if he tries and speaks now.

Eren lands a hand on the other’s shoulder and bents a little to deposit a chaste kiss on Levi’s cheek. “Levi, I must tell you I’d like to call this a date.”

He nods, his hands tightening on the napkin with Eren’s cell number on it.

Eren smiles widely, his face bright and his eyelashes long and his dimples-

Okay Levi, contain yourself. You don’t find him attractive at all, remember?

He just stands still in the middle of the sidewalk, watching Eren as he opens the doorway of a close building and disappears in it.

He’s so head over heels, ugh.

***

“You’re telling me you really did avoid him today?”

“For the tenth time, yes! Yes I did, okay? I need time to make it all sink in.”

Hange looks like she’s  _ that  _ close to punching him. She might as well try, she’s gonna fail anyway.

“You’re so stupid, you know? Give me your phone.”

“I’m not giving you my phone.”

She points her index finger on the counter Levi’s cleaning and he truly might kill her now. “Your phone, Levi.”

“Zoe, quit it. You know I’m not used to this kind of thing.”

“That’s why I’m here to help you!”

Levi sends her a skeptical look and she sighs dramatically loudly. “Okay, keep your phone for yourself then! But please I’m begging you, text him.”

“I really wanna see you begging me before I do.”

Hange groans, getting more and more frustrated. “Listen there you incapable human being, I am doing this for you!” She fakes wiping a tear. “Such a meanie…”

Levi pulls her hand away from the counter and scratches the surface with the cloth. “Okay, okay. What should I text him?”

She grins happily, knowing she’s won once again. “Ask him if he’s free this evening. And maybe tonight too, if you know what I m-”

“I’m gonna kick your ass, Zoe.”

He puts out the phone from the bag and cautiously goes through the registered numbers.

“I see you already saved his cell number. Good boy.”

“Zoe.”

She holds her hand up and finally shuts her mouth.

_ Levi: Are you free tonight? That’s Levi by the way. _

“Here. Are you happy now?”

“Very.”

The cell phone vibrates shortly after and Zoe makes a run for it, essentially snatching it from Levi. “Aw,” she says, “Such a cute baby! Look at his profile pic, too!”

Levi takes the phone back abruptly, looking for the answer.

_ Eren: I always am if you ask me. I’m so relieved you texted me, I thought I scared you yesterday when you didn’t stop by in the morning. _

“Cute my ass… sneaky bastard.”

The profile picture  _ is  _ cute, tho. He’s sitting on a bench in a park under a shower of golden sun rays, genuinely smiling and not looking at the camera, but more likely at the person holding it.

Levi is  _ not  _ staring at the picture. He is not, okay?

He ignores Hange’s maniacal laugh and types a text back.

_ Levi: There’s somewhere you’d like to go? _

_ Eren: There’s a luna park in town. Sounds good to you? _

“Zoe.”

“Yes, darling?”

He has to ignore the mocking tone.

“Luna Park?”

“Perfect place for a date, if you ask me. You can even hide behind some stall and-” The death glare is enough to stop her. Luckily, ‘cause Levi’s sure his ears are gonna bleed by the time he’s done talking to her.

_ Levi: Whatever. I close late today. I’ll pick you up when I’m done, around 10 pm. _

_ Eren: See you later then. Since I didn’t get to see you this morning, I cannot wait ;) _

***

**9- Levi would explain everything logically in a haunted house**

Levi wouldn’t get what people find fun about haunted houses. It’s not like they’re just not scary at all, but they’re not even remotely fun. However, Eren insisted on going in, pulling at his sleeve like a baby, and Levi eventually agreed -only because he found the other one annoying, of course.

They’ve been inside for about ten minutes now, and predictably nothing surprising’s happened yet.

Eren jumps when a door slams loudly behind them, but, “It’s the wind,” Levi tells him coldly.

He also startles when a hushed voice begins crying their names, but now too, “They checked our IDs for age confirmation, at the entrance. They took our names..”

Still, when the light bulb hanging from the roof flickers a bit before shutting off completely, he stiffens a little before explaining that it surely is a commanded mechanism, and talks about air drafts when a cold breeze lightly caresses their napes.

They’re crossing a dark corridor, the only light being the one coming from a broken window in the middle of the path. Is this supposed to be intimidating? Because, come on, Levi finds it more peaceful than anything.

Eren, anyway, may not be thinking the same, since he’s gotten a little closer to him and now their arms are brushing against each other anytime they take a step forward.

Their names echo again in the building, just a single time, similar to a whisper in their ears. The sound lingers briefly in the air before completely disappearing, the corridor dead silent now. They take another step. The floorboards look old and deformed, but whenever they place their foot on them, not a sound is made. The silence starts feeling pressuring, a certain anxiety starting to crawl under his skin.

Then, when they’re right in front of the window and the light hits their eyes just enough to allow them to see the end of the corridor, a scrawny figure takes shape against the wall.  _ It must be a mechanical doll _ , Levi thinks, but he doesn’t say it out loud. Because, the doll isn’t a doll at all, but a real and concrete old woman, her skin yellow and stained and her eyes white. She starts laughing, a burst of creepy loud laughter that echoes between the tight walls of the corridor and hits their ears violently against the silence they’d gotten used to.

Then, she starts running. Like, fast. Eren grabs him by the closest arm and makes a run for the exit, stumbling down the stairs and then across the dirty rooms as if their life depends on it.

He frantically pushes the door open and they come out of the house in such a hurry they both crumble down on the ground, Eren lying down on his back and Levi face-down on him.

It’s such a cliché Levi winces.

So, he’ll never ever admit it, but his heart is beating super fast because of what they just went through, but it also won’t calm down because he’s lying extra close to Eren and he can perfectly hear his heart is beating astonishingly fast, too.

Maybe, just maybe, he’s starting to get why people like haunted houses, and it certainly isn’t because they’re looking for a thrill.

***

“I had a lot of fun tonight. Thank you, Levi.” Eren’s cheeks are flushed and his plump lips are a little chapped, just the right amount to make Levi think about kissing them better.

He nods and decides that even though he hasn’t got the guts to actually kiss his red lips, he can at least behave like the grown man he is and master up the tiniest bit of courage. He ruffles the younger’s hair with a hand, then pulls a little to make him bend down how much he needs him to in order to lift himself on his tiptoes and kiss him lightly on the forehead. “Sweet dreams, Eren.”

He doesn’t wait for an answer because, let’s be honest, he hasn’t gathered  _ that  _ much courage yet, so he fast paces out of the other’s sight. As soon as he’s turned the angle he slaps his face hard and takes a deep breath. Fucking idiot.

***

Levi must force himself in the shower, his need for cleanliness stronger than any fatigue he might be feeling.

When he comes out of the shower, the cell phone is ringing from his spot on the nightstand and he hesitates a little wondering if he actually feels like taking the call or not, but makes a run for it as soon as he manages to read Eren’s name on the display. He picks the call up at the very last moment.

“Here’s Levi.”

“Oh, thank god. I was already feeling guilty about waking you up with my indiscreet call.”

“It is indiscreet indeed. We just saw each other, do you miss me already?”

“Yes, to say the truth.” Fuck this guy and his bashful ability to make him regret his mockings. “I was thinking you wished me sweet dreams, but I didn’t.”

“You’re calling me just for this?”

“Actually, I’m not. I’d also like to make sure you’ll come by tomorrow morning, for breakfast.”

“...I will.”

“No running away?”

“...No running away.” Levi can literally sense the other’s smug grin.

“I gotta tell you, Levi, I came to discover I love your shyness. Such as you stopping a couple of seconds in front of the door before shaking your head and running away, the past morning. But I also love the way you stopped stuttering around me.”

Levi bites his lip painfully. It’s not a euphemism saying he’s screaming inside. “You love it?”

“I shall be honest and say I do. Because it’s proof you’re feeling more and more confident with me.”

Levi holds his breath. Actually, it’s true. Totally, painfully, undeniably true. He hoped Eren wouldn’t notice. Tch, fool.

“I’m hanging up now. Sweet dreams, Levi.”

“Yeah. You too.”

Levi is so gonna die.

***

_ Eren: I’m picking you up tonight, when you close the gym. _

_ Levi: I get to choose where we’re going, this time. _

_ Eren: Your wish is my command. _

***

“Oh oh oh, what is that I see on your face? Oh my, is our pouty, grumpy, dead inside Levi  _ smiling _ ?”

“Cut it, Zoe.”

Levi’s stretching on the floor, Hange towering him with the most punchable face of them all. He’s doing a side split, his elbows planted on the floor while he holds his cellphone.

“You know, I always thought you could make use of your flexibility for something far more fun than a split.”

Levi’s going to reply that she couldn’t know how to possibly put it to use, since she’s never been able to even touch her toes and therefore couldn’t possibly have experienced those far more fun things. A huffed chuckle anticipates him, anyway, as Eren shows himself leaning on a machine. He’s always fucking leaning. But he  _ doesn’t  _ make it look sexy, got it?

Hange turns around with a melodramatic ‘Gasp!’ to face the boy, her voice tinted with the maniacal shade Levi very much dislikes, thank you a lot.

“You must be that cutie! What did you say his name was, Levi?”

If he had death lasers in his eyes, he’s positive he’d be using them right here, right now. What about a double murder with suicide at the end to top it all?

Because, come on, she perfectly knows what his name is. She fucking read it on his phone and it hasn’t left her shitty mouth since then.

Predictably, Eren seems quite contented. “He told you about me?”

“Aw darling, he doesn’t speak of anything else!”

“You know what’s funny, Zoe? Everyone else has gone to their own fucking homes but somehow you’re still here. Now, go home before I kick your ass all the way out.”

“My baby Levi is sooo embarrassed, how cute!”

Levi stands up, a menacing look on his face. Deep down, he’s praying for a lighting to strike him dead. “Now, Zoe.”

She picks up the bag she’s previously left on the floor when coming out of the changing room and shows off her worst smile. “Have fun this evening, sweeties! And tonight, too.” She exits the gym before Levi manages to throw a lifting weight at her.

Eren giggles. “She’s fun.”

“She’s torture, it’s different,” he grunts.

“So, where are we going today?”

“Ice skating. Let me take a shower and then we’ll go.”

“Can I join?”

Levi slams the door to his face.

***

Eren whirls his arms in the air in a pretty ridiculous way, frankly, before bumping his butt on the ice for the umpteenth time. Levi laughs from the bottom of his heart, his hands holding his stomach, not softening up the tiniest bit when Eren’s pout deepens.

**10- Levi would be the best at ice skating among the others**

After all, he’s decided they’d go ice skating not only because he has fun doing it, but also because he knows he’s good at it. A quick look at Eren had suggested otherwise: he’s quite clumsy, very tall and probably grown up far too fast, thus making him unable to totally control his movements.

Now, he’s got the right to laugh a bit, doesn’t he?

Anyway, when the playful pout turns into a discouraged look, Levi feels a tugging sensation in his chest and his laughter morphs into an  _ almost  _ caring smile.

He skates in front of him and stretches his arms out, offering him help getting up. When Eren is once again on his foot, anyway, Levi keeps holding his hands. “Let’s go slowly. Here, look at the way I do it and hold onto me to find your balance.”

Fuck, why does his voice sound like this? He’s not caring. He. Is. Not.

Okay, no kidding, he really is caring and that expression Eren’s making right now is making him melt.

“How do you do it? I mean, I have problems standing still, while you’re skating backward.” He chuckles. “It’s magic!”

Levi rolls his eyes, but he’s in no way trying to hide the smirk on his lips.

“Look, Levi! I’m doing it, I’m ice skating!” Eren says cheerfully, eyes sparkling with glee. He looks like a kid opening the gifts under the Christmas tree.

“Yes, you’re doing it. Good job, Eren.”

Both their hands are freezing and the tip of Eren’s nose has gone red, his lips even  _ redder  _ if possible.

Levi tugs him a little and with a concerned sound Eren slides on the ice until they’re so very close, hand still linked together, and he puts both their hands inside his jacket pockets. They’re so close, so close, so close their noses are lightly brushing against each other and he can actually feel Eren’s slow breath on his skin.

Then Eren bows his head a little more, but a little more is just enough to make their lips collide ever so softly. Eren’s lips are chapped today, too, but also soft, incredibly so. They’re kissing lightly, a testing caress, but Eren tastes so good it makes him wanna taste more. He puts a hand out of the pocket, bringing Eren’s with his, and places the other’s on his neck before using his own to bring the boy even closer, to deepen the kiss he’s become so hungry for.

It’s been ages since Levi’s kissed someone. Not weeks, not even months, but years. He’d soon understood kissing isn’t something that works with everyone for him. Right now, though, it feels just perfect.

The kiss breaks shortly after, neither of them willing to step away from their actual position. Their foreheads are touching and Eren is shutting his eyes closed, his long eyelashes curved on his cheekbones so deliciously flushed. He’s smiling, his dimples showing, and Levi notices he’s smiling too.

He’s so terribly gone.

***

They’re walking on the sidewalk holding hands. Yes, Levi feels like a fucking teenager; no, he wouldn’t let go.

He’s seeing Eren home, because that’s what a decent person would do, but he doesn’t complain when, once they arrive, Eren puts his hands on the sides of Levi’s face and kisses him gently.

“Levi, come with me?” he murmurs, green doe-eyes staring directly in his.

He doesn’t answer right on the spot. A part of him is shouting and yelling, telling him he’d be crazy if he refused. The other one, though, the rational and thinking-too-much- part, is speaking him firmly: he has to keep in mind, he’s never done it before.

**11- Levi’s a virgin**

What if he messes up? It seems pretty clear to him Eren’s quite experienced -he can see it in his confidence, his flirtatious attitude, the look in his eyes and the shade behind some of his words.

On the contrary, he is not. The only time he’s tried to go to it was in high school, when he was seventeen and felt like having sex was somehow mandatory. Needless to say, it hadn’t gone well. He’d found himself naked between the bare legs of another guy, completely unable to get hard or just feel excited in general and, cherry on top, on the verge of a breakdown.

He’d found the guy cute, so he really had thought it would have been okay, but he hadn’t considered yet that enjoying someone’s presence and finding them aesthetically pleasing doesn’t necessarily accompany sexual attraction.

No more sexual experiences for Levi Ackerman from then.

He’d fallen in love, though. It had been an older boy at college, looking like he’d just come out of a painting, and he’d approached him first, slowly growing on him. It was quite surprising when the thought of having him naked, sprawled out on the sheets of his bed, had made him hard.  _ Truly surprising. _

It hadn’t led to anything, anyway: he’d been rejected badly, so badly, and left alone with a broken heart and a lot of confusion in his head.

Luckily, Google always has the answer.

Coming back to the present, though, the point is: he fucking cannot make up his mind.

Eren must notice it, too, because a concerned look darkens his features. “Levi? Is everything fine? If you don’t feel like it it’s perfectly okay, we can-”

“Eren. It’s nothing, really.” Eren’s features sweeten and Levi deposits a loving kiss on his lips to reassure him that he’s done anything wrong at all.

Levi takes a deep, deep breath, knowing he’s going to do the thing he’s never imagined he’d ever do in his damned life: he asks himself, “What would Zoe say about it?”

And the answer is, “Talk it out, you fucking idiot!”

Could he be killed on the spot, he follows the indirect suggestion. “Let’s go. But… I need to tell you something before.”

“You can tell me everything without any worry.”

They go up three flights of stairs to reach Eren’s flat. Inside the living room is tidy enough, a small kitchen facing it directly.

Eren sits down on the couch and pats the cushion next to him. Levi ignores the voice in the back of his skull saying he’s not a pet, and obeys.

“So. Mh.”

Woah, keep it up, Levi.

Eren is drawing circles with his fingers on Levi’s thigh, and the man manages to calm down a bit.

“Okay. So. Do you know what demisexual means?”

Eren’s eyebrows furrow. “I’m sure I heard about it, but I can’t exactly recall it.”

Levi shuffles in his spot and clears his throat. “It’s when, well, you only feel sexual attraction toward people you have a close emotional connection with. Yeah.”

Eren’s eyes sadden. “And you’re worried because... you don’t like me after all?”

“What? No, are you crazy? I like you, Eren, I like you as much as I never liked anyone before. That's why it’s scary. Su fucking scary.”

The young man beside him has quickly regained his confidence and tightens his hand on Levi’s thigh, but instead of making him feel pressured, he feels secure.

“The point is, me being like this, mh, well… I’m a virgin. I have no experience at all, zero. Mh.”

Eren is smiling sweetly. He shifts on the couch until he’s very very close to Levi.

“That’s all? You feel anxious since you’ve never done it before?”

“Yes. Yes.”

His grin widens, dimples now showing. “None of it matters to me, Levi. If you don’t feel like doing it today, I’m perfectly okay with it. We don’t need to rush things. While, if the only thing blocking you is the pressure of doing well, it doesn’t have any importance at all to me. It will be amazing anyway, if it’s with you. Because I like you a lot too, Levi.” Eren kisses him chastely on the lips. “The only thing that matters now is that you’ve been stuttering again, and I find it adorable.”

That’s the moment he totally surrenders to his feelings, to his longing and to the young man who’s holding him ever so kindly. Right now, on the couch in the middle of the flat lightened by the warm lights of the streetlamps, with big green eyes caressing his skin and gentle hands affectionately touching him.

He wants to make love to him, to hold him and to be held.

“I wanna do it.”

“Are you sure?”

“I am,” he says, nodding his head to enforce his own words. He’s totally, hundred percent, positive.

“Shall we go to the bedroom, then?”

Levi nods once again. Eren stands up, the other wrinkling his nose at the loss of the warm body next to him. The boy offers him a hand and Levi holds it with a newfound determination.

The bedroom turns out to be well kept too, tidy and with a double bed in the middle. Levi pleasantly observes the bedsheets have been changed and smell like they’re fresh out of the laundry.

Eren places his hands framing Levi’s face. “Kiss me,” he whispers. And Levi obeys. Honestly, he’s like putty in his hands right now.

The kiss deepens quickly and Eren pushes him lightly, until Levi’s legs collide with the bed and then more, resulting in the older lying on the bed on his back and the younger straddling him.

“Let’s go slowly,” Eren says, and Levi giggles a bit because fuck, he said the same words to him just some hours ago when they were skating and Levi was guiding a clueless Eren. Amazing how the table’s turned.

Eren comes down, kisses him on his lips, on the angle of the mouth, his chin, the sharp jawline, and then the white immaculate neck. A hand slides under Levi’s shirt, pulling the fabric up to his pectorals. “Can I?” he asks, and Levi nods frantically. Is this even a question?

The dark blue shirt lands on the floor, which would usually make Levi go crazy, but it’s almost stunning the way his mind is now completely absorbed by the men on top of him.

The light filtering from the window makes Eren’s caramel skin shine gold. He swiftly removes his own t-shirt, his hair messed up from the action, and his well-built muscles pop, well,  _ nicely  _ at his every move.

Levi’s actually better trained than Eren, with bigger and better-defined muscles, while Eren is slim and fit at the same time. He’s quite a vision indeed.

Eren doesn’t waste any more time and comes back to cover Levi’s body with sweet kisses, which are gradually becoming more and more frequent, as if Eren’s feeling a need to worship the other’s body with his rosy lips, and this need is growing stronger and stronger every passing minute. His mouth traces an invisible path down Levi’s torso, a burning heat under every inch of his skin his lips have kissed, his hands have touched.

Levi is breathing louder every time, almost gasping for air when Eren’s wet tongue tentatively tastes Levi’s skin. The other’s reaction must seem good to him, because he does it over and over again. The air’s cool, while Eren’s mouth is crazy hot.

How is it possible to feel this way? Melting and wanting to be close, so close to each other.

Eren’s hands are caressing his hips, the light touch causing him to shiver from head to toe. The boy smiles onto Levi’s skin, then bites a small portion of hard flesh just above the elastic band of the boxers showing from his trousers. Levi groans and Eren does it again.

He’s gonna lose his mind before they’re done.

“You look so beautiful, Levi. So incredibly gorgeous.”

When Eren tugs at his pants and pulls them down in one move, then removes them completely and throws them away, Levi makes up his mind and is quite sure the man he’s blessed enough to touch is even more gorgeous than him. He wants to taste him, too.

He holds Eren’s sides with firm hands and easily rolls them both, managing to bring Eren on his back. He smiles, and Levi cannot help but kiss him deeply. Their teeth knock against each other, their tongues chasing in a wet mess looking for more and more contact.

“Yours, too,” he says undoing Eren’s pants fly. Eren helps him with no hesitation and snatches them from Levi’s hands when he’s taking too much time struggling with himself for throwing them on the floor.

Eren’s skin is naturally tanned, a tasty shade of caramel tainting of gold in the light coming through the window. Levi would love to corrupt it with his own mouth.

“You’re thinking about something. I can see it in the way your jaw’s contracting, you know?”

Levi grunts. “Don’t be arrogant.” But then he adds, “Can I leave marks?”

“Please, do.”

Levi laps his neck in the spot under his adam’s apple, which moves up and down abruptly. He sucks tentatively on the skin, kissing it and tasting with his tongue. Eren breathes in loudly. Levi changes spot and concentrates on the skin of his left pectoral, until Eren grabs his head from the hair and pushes him toward his nipple.

“Please, Levi,” he murmurs, and who’s Levi to deny him? He sucks on his nipple and watches Eren’s reaction to try and understand if he’s doing alright. Eren returns the look and smiles only a bit, while Levi gets momentarily lost. Eren’s eyes look liquid, green pools of lust, his plump red lips agape and cheeks flushed.

Everything’s gonna be alright if it happens with him. Only him.

It’s like Eren possesses a key Levi can’t find in anyone else.

Eren’s hands settle on his hips, asking a question he doesn’t need to speak, and Levi lifts himself up a bit and puts his hands onto Eren’s and guide them both down, his boxers coming down with them.

Eren is staring openly, biting his lip forcefully. Levi licks his owns at the sight.

It doesn’t take much more for Eren’s underwear to join Levi’s on the floor.

Levi has always thought being stark naked, emotionally and physically exposed, would have made him feel helplessly vulnerable. He would have never thought before he’d find it comforting instead.

There’s something in the way they’re baring themselves of every cloth, every mask, every insecurity, that shows incomparably how much they trust each other.

Levi’s overwhelmed when Eren guides his hands between his legs, he’s absorbed when he shows him how he needs to be prepared, and is irrecoverably lost when Eren’s crying his name asking him to go further, and Levi enters him with his heart beating furiously against his chest.

Eren’s hands hold onto him without ever letting go, their minds slowly going numb but their voices, their touches still concrete, an anchor to reality which reminds them that’s not just a fantasy, a dream, a wish much longed and desired. They’re there, together, lost in one another.

Eren moans louder and louder, Levi’s heavy breathing losing its rhythm as they both get closer and closer to the edge.

Levi’s vision whitens and a wave of heat makes his body tremble. A few more seconds, and Eren’s shaking too, his fingers digging into Levi’s back and his mouth looking for the other’s.

Levi comes out and lays down next to Eren. He spares Eren a look, amazed by the wrecked composure of his. Eren turns on his side so to face him, the cheesiest smile painted on those perfect lips of his. “See? I told you it’d be amazing with you,” he says, then proceeds to stretch out an arm and half hugs the man.

“I’ll allow you to stay like this for another ten minutes, then we’re going to clean up and change the bedsheets.”

“What? But-”

“No buts.”

Eren grunts against his chest, his head resting just under Levis’s chin. He slightly bows his head and plants a kiss in the soft hair of his. They actually are very soft.

***

Levi awakens when the sunlight brutally hits his eyelids. It’s morning, he realizes, and they both fell asleep before cleaning up. Fuck. He’s pretty sure there will be a smug expression on Eren’s face when he’s waking up.

Moreover, he’s somehow become the little spoon, the tall body holding him in a warm hug. Actually, he likes it. Okay, seriously. He loves it. He wishes he could wake up like this every morning for the rest of his life.

The grip of Eren’s arms tightens a little and a muffled voice says, “It’s still early, let’s sleep a bit more.”

He’s right. It’s still early, the hug is warm and loving, and he would not leave it for any reason at all. Levi places a hand onto Eren’s one laying on his stomach and their fingers entwine. He goes back to sleep.

He’s completely, totally, hopelessly head over heels.

**12- Levi is the most emotional one. He just doesn’t show it**

**Author's Note:**

> I'd like to precise I'm not a native speaker. I needed to exercise my English writing and thought this could have been a nice way to do so. Mostly, I wrote it for fun, and I actually had a real lot of fun!  
> Let me know if you enjoyed it. Also, a second part may come in the future, who knows


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